The power of memes

Welcome to the 20th issue of Write On!

The newsletter that’s always willing to share a piece of gum with you (even though you should buy your own pack already).

Estimated read time: 2 minutes 54 seconds

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Top Finds This Week:

📖 Storytelling: 3 simple writing exercises that’ll make you a better storyteller in under 30 mins a day (link)

🧠 Psychology: Storytelling is a game of psychology. Here’re 10 tricks rooted in psychology to make you a better storyteller (link)

🖼 Framework: It used to be that he couldn't make a single dollar online. Now he makes 6 figures a year teaching a skill he loves: copywriting. Here’s his step-by-step process for how you can learn copywriting fast (link)

📜 Principles: He’s written 4,500+ articles online, published 5 books & 30 "mini-books," and built two 7-figure writing businesses. If he had to start from $0 again, here's what he said he'd do: (link)

⚙️ Resource: She went from zero to writing copy for HubSpot and was asked to be the ghostwriter for a leading SaaS startup founder. In just 1 year... Here are the resources that helped her level up (link)

🤖 AI: 6 ChatGPT power-prompts to start writing quality content at scale (link)

The power of memes

Today’s newsletter topic was prompted by one of your fellow Write On subscribers!

“I'd love a deep dive into the emotional power of memes.”

Ask, and you shall receive!

(Side note: If you have topics you’d like to hear about in future issues of the newsletter, leave your thoughts in the poll at the bottom or email me. I read every reply).

But before diving in, let’s ensure we’re speaking the same language. When I say “meme,” I’m not just referring to images with text. Memes can take multiple forms. Here’s the official definition:

And this is you right now (probably):

Alright, alright, settle down. Let’s keep this show moving…

The main benefits of memes:

1. They are quickly consumed and appreciated.

2. They ease resistance to marketing messages by using humor.

3. They create a connection. Making your business more human and less transactional.

How do they create that connection?

By being relatable.

Memes tell micro-stories (shoutout to Jon for this phrase) that readers can often see in their own lives.

It shows that you (as a business) understand them and share their experiences.

That shared understanding leads to more trust and loyalty.

2 examples of memes I’ve used in copy:

(1) Shipping Confirmation Email:

This is one of the first emails a customer gets from us after they make their purchase:

Here’s the gif in action (I’m not tech-savvy enough to get the screen recording in here lol):

This sets the tone from the beginning:

Get hyped. Let’s have some fun. This product is about to change the game for you.

It fits well with our brand and what we want to stand for.

(2) Text Message Campaigns:

Unfortunately, I can’t show you a screenshot of the text campaign because we’ve switched SMS providers since this tweet, but the test was basically:

• Version A: Normal marketing text

• Version B: Normal marketing text + this meme

Incredibly simple. An over-exaggeration…

But funny.

Guys come to Beard Club because they want to grow a beard.

But the deeper motivation behind why they buy is:

• They want to look more attractive

• They want to feel more confident

• They want to be unique

It’s a dumb meme, but that image sums up all those feelings in less than a second.

That’s powerful.

But be mindful

Memes are great and all, but it has to be the right fit for YOUR audience.

3 factors to consider when deciding whether to use a meme or not:

1. Timing

2. Relevance

3. Authenticity

If your meme isn’t checking off these 3 boxes, you will come across as cringy.

Here’re 3 BAD examples to hammer this point home:

1. Timing: Your customer just canceled their subscription. Probably not the best place for a meme.

2. Relevance: A meme about ChatGPT probably won’t help me sell Beard Club products.

3. Authenticity: Don’t force it. Memes need to be aligned with your brand. My “let’s goooo” Beard Club meme is probably not a fit for a business that sells hearing aids.

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading.

See you next Wednesday!

Joe

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’re two ways I can help you:

1. Facts tell. Stories Sell. Use storytelling in your copywriting to grow your business. Get early access to my new course: The Storywriting Playbook (👉Add me to the waitlist!)

2. Keep your writing sharp all year round and enjoy free lifetime access to my collection of Write On copywriting guides (👉View all guides)

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